Kathmandu, Sept. 6 -- match conference for the first of the two friendlies between Nepal and Bangladesh would have been different had Hamza Choudhury arrived in Kathmandu. There would have been more flashes from the cameras, and journalists would have more questions.

However, midfielder Choudhury, a key player for the 2015-16 Premier League champions Leicester City, did not want to take any risks-especially for an injury-in the matches against Nepal, said the Spaniard Javier Cabrera.

"We were in regular talks with Hamza and Leicester City," said Cabrera, head coach of the Bangladesh senior men's team. "But we have not brought, as what people are saying, a 'B' team. We have the strongest squad because we are not taking the two friendlies...